Emotion repair and the direction of attention in aversive contexts: Evidence from an attention-demanding task

Two studies (total N = 145) examined the novel idea that individual differences in emotion repair may relate to the attention deployment stage of emotion regulation. More specifically, it was hypothesized that high repair individuals would be able to maintain focus on an attention-demanding task in an aversive context, but that low repair individuals would not, in both cases relative to a control condition. This sort of interactive hypothesis was supported in Study 1, which manipulated aversive events through the use of concurrent auditory stimulation and conceptual replication was found in Study 2. Together, the two studies offer suggestive evidence for the role of attention direction in emotion repair.

► Emotion repair may reflect attention deployment processes in aversive events. ► Participants’ motor control was measured during aversive versus control events. ► High repair individuals exhibited better motor control during aversive events. ► Low repair individuals exhibit poorer motor control during aversive events.